


Is This Weirdmagedon?

by Akoia



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Gravity Falls
Genre: Family, Fluff and Angst, Mages and Templars, Magic, Modern Boy in Thedas, Modern Character in Thedas, Modern Girl in Thedas, Spirits, The Fade, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-22 13:52:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17663855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akoia/pseuds/Akoia
Summary: Dipper traced his fingers over the words in the journal, trying to ignore his sister looking over his shoulder. His lips formed the strange words, eyes narrowing in concentration. "Mittit in orbem invasit alicui stultum?"As if life in Gravity Falls couldn't get any stranger, Dipper and Mable Pines find themselves in a position of life or death. Battling monsters, cultists, and anything else that threatens their new world. With seemingly no way home, they try and navigate life as figureheads of a new organizations, determined to bring peace.23-5-9-18-4-13-1-7-5-4-15-14 8-1-19 3-15-13-5 5-1-18-12-25 6-15-12-11-19. 9 23-15-14-4-5-18 9-6 2-9-12-12 8-1-19 1-14-25-20-8-9-14-7 20-15 4-15 23-9-20-8 20-8-9-19? 23-8-15 1-13 9 11-9-4-4-9-14-7, 15-6 3-15-21-18-19-5 8-5 4-15-5-19!





	1. Kh'v dq hoi? Duh brx vhulrxv?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrr edg Glsshu fdq'w uhphpehu zkdw kdsshqhg dw wkh Whpsoh. Pdbeh kh'g hyhq uhphpehu vhhlqj vrphwklqj bhoorz! Kh uhdoob vkrxogq'w kdyh uhdg wkdw vshoo. Rk zhoo! Fdq'w eh khoshg!

**Dipper**

_Dipper held onto the back of Mabel's sweater, pulling her through the murky greens and blacks that obscured his vision. He clenched his left hand into a fist, trying to ignore the burning pain that radiated up his entire arm. He looked behind him and frowned in concern when he saw that Mabel still hadn't opened her eyes. Her right hand had the same sickly green glow that his did. He shook his head, he needed to keep going. He stopped in his tracks when he heard something hissing at him._

_He turned around and his breathing stopped when he saw the giant spiders starting to make their way quickly towards them. Dipper stopped long enough to swing Mabel over his shoulder before he took off running as fast as he could. He jumped from rock to rock when the ground started to break under his feet. He grabbed tightly to the side of a steep incline. He climbed, one hand over the other._

_"Quickly!" A woman's voice called out. He snapped his head up, and shielded his eyes when he caught sight of the glowing woman who was trying to grab his hand. He only had a second to decide, reaching out, and grabbing her wrist. She lifted him and Mabel up over the side of the cliff. "You must go!" She cried, grabbing Dipper and his sister, and throwing them towards a swirling rift._

_Dipper was aware of falling a short distance, and Mabel landing on top of him. He looked up and thought he could see the sky, tainted green, before he slipped under._

* * *

The next time he woke up, his head swam, and he looked around in confusion. He was propped up against the wall of a dark stone room. He squinted his eyes, trying to adjust to the torch light. Was he...in a dungeon? He blinked a few times, turning his head, catching sight of the barred door across from him. He felt a weight against his shoulder and felt the relief when he realized that it was Mabel, still breathing. He reached up and touched her face, where he could see a large bruise on her cheek. How did she get that?

He yelped when he felt his hand burn. He looked down and panicked when he realized that it _hadn't_ been a dream, and that there _was_ a glowing green mark in the center of his palm. He reached out and grabbed Mabel's arm, gritting his teeth when he saw her matching mark. He let go of her and touched his head. Why did everything hurt? Where were they? The door opened and Dipper's back snapped up.

A very tall someone stepped into the room, with a hood pulled up. They closed the door and sighed. When they turned around Dipper found himself making eye contact with a man who seemed _very_ surprised to see him awake. "Ah, hello there," he said, eyes wide. His voice was slow, and melodic. He looked out the door's barred window. "How are you feeling?" He asked, walking slowly towards him. The man kneeled down, holding his arms up.

"I..." his voice cracked like he hadn't had water in _days._ He covered his mouth and coughed violently. He blinked and looked up at the man. "What's happening?" He asked.

"The Temple was destroyed," the man said. "I'm sorry, but it seems that everyone who attended the Conclave has died, everyone...but this young lady and yourself." The man held out his hand. "May I see your hand?" he asked. "I've been monitoring the two of you for four days. I was starting to think that you weren't going to wake up."

"People are dead?" Dipper asked, confused. "Wait...where are we?"

The man smiled sadly. He reached up and pulled down his hood, and Dipper's eyes widened when he caught sight of the man's pointed ears. His head was smooth. He seemed to pause when he saw Dipper's strange look. "I am Solas," he shook Dipper's hand slowly. "And you are?"

Dipper blinked rapidly and took a few deep breaths. "Uh, yeah, I'm Dipper Pines, nice to meet you."

"Well, Dipper Pines, you and this young lady here are in Haven, in the Ferelden's Frostback mountains."

Dipper stared at him blankly for a few seconds. His eyes widened and the air caught in his throat.  None of it made any sense! He'd never heard of Ferelden, of the Frostbacks. It sounded to him like fantasy nonsense from the Lord of the Rings, which _would_ explain why the man in front of him was an elf. But _how_ had it happened? He and Mabel had just been reading the journal when...! He jerked away suddenly, throwing himself away from the man. "This is a trick!" He snarled. He reached out and grabbed Mabel, pulling her into a corner, placing himself between her and the stranger. "You can't trick me _Bill!"_

Solas seemed confused. He took a few steps away from the frightened boy. "Calm yourself child," he said soothingly. "You are safe here, whoever this Bill is, he cannot harm you here."

Dipper didn't move, his entire body tensed for a fight. He dropped to his knees with a cry of pain when the Mark flared again, sending green sparks around the room. He grabbed his wrist, screaming in pain. The man rushed to his side, grabbing Dipper's hand, turning it palm up. Dipper lashed out, smacking him on the arm, but the man didn't even flinch. His hand glowed blue, and he lowered it down onto the Mark. It slowly stopped its painful pulsing. "What did you do?!" Dipper demanded, yanking his hand away.

"I simply used a bit of magic to stabilize the Mark," Solas said softly. "Please listen to me, young man." He traced the outline of the Mark. "We don't know how you or...I'm assuming she's your sister?" Solas asked, gesturing to Mabel, who was laying on the ground. Dipper nodded quickly, lifting her up, resting her against the wall. "There is no explanation of how the two of you survived. But when the Temple was destroyed, whoever did it ripped open a hole in the sky that has been pouring out demons from the Fade. I'm somewhat of an expert on the subject of the Fade, I offered my help to the soldiers after the calamity. It is my theory that those Marks could be the key to sealing the Breach, and hopefully the Rifts as well."

"Wha... _what are you talking about?!"_ Dipper demanded.

Solas sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Perhaps it would be easier to show you." He stood up, pulling his hood back over his head. He walked to the door and stopped, looking back over his shoulder. "Wait here, I will return shortly," he said, before exiting, closing the door behind him. Dipper saw him standing outside the door, talking to someone that he couldn't see. Solas nodded and his footsteps disappeared down the hallway.

He was right, he was back not even a full minute later. But he wasn't alone. "Seeker! I must insist that you-!"

A woman kicked the door open, striding in, eyes burning in the type of holy anger that he'd never seen. Dipper yipped and fell backwards. She reached forward and grabbed him by his tattered red shirt, pulling him up to eye level. "Tell me why we shouldn't kill you right now!" She growled lowly at him. "The Conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you.”

"I didn't do anything!" Dipper instantly protested. "Let go of me, you crazy lady!" He smacked her on the forehead, trying to loosen her grip. She snarled like a wolf and pulled her hand back, intent to punch him right in the jaw. Solas made a sound of protest, reaching out, but it was another woman who stopped her. She had red hair that peeked out from her purple hood.

"We need them, Cassandra," she said softly. Cassandra shot him a final disgusted look, letting go of his shirt, and letting him fall to the ground. The woman in purple moved slowly towards him.

Dipper scrambled to his feet, almost tripping over the chains around his wrists. “Whatever you think we did, we're innocent," Dipper told them defensively.

 “Do you remember what happened? How this began?” The red-head asked, her hands behind her back. She looked down at him with calculating eyes. Dipper opened his mouth a few times, closing it just as quickly. "Well?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I...I was running away from _something,_ then...a woman?" Dipper scrunched his face up, trying to remember.

"A woman?" The red-head asked, looking _very_ interested. 

"Yes, she reached her hand out to us, and pulled us through...a vortex? A portal? Then I woke up here." 

The woman who had grabbed Dipper looked down at him coldly before turning back to the other woman. “Go to the forward camp, Leliana. Solas and I will take him to the Rift.” 

Leliana bowed her head, before shuffling out of the room. Dipper watched her go, pressing his lips together. "What  _did_ happen?" He asked, looking between her and the elf. Cassandra walked closer and unlocked the cuffs around his wrists, before wrapping a rope tightly around them instead. "Solas?" He asked, casting the man a look. 

"Like I said, it will be easier to show you," he said, trying to give an encouraging smile. 

"I agree," the woman said, pushing Dipper in front of her. 

"Wait!" He tried to turn back around. "Mabel! I can't leave her here all alone!" 

"We can't bring her with us, where we're going," Cassandra said, directing him back towards the direction of the door. "You will see her again soon." She dragged him outside, despite his struggling. Solas kept wincing whenever she would treat him a little  _too_ roughly. Dipper shivered when he felt snow around his ankles, his cargo shorts doing very little to protect him from the freezing air. Cassandra pointed up at the sky and Dipper raised his head, his eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw the swirling madness that hung above their heads, cracking and spitting like a portal to hell. “We call it the Breach," she said. "It’s a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour. It’s not the only such rift, just the largest. All were caused by the explosion at the conclave.”

Dipper swallowed thickly, managing to pry his eyes away from the nightmare. "No explosion could do  _that,"_ he said. 

“This one did," Cassandra said with a sarcastic bite. "Unless we act, the breach may grow until it swallows the world.” She didn't stop looking at the Breach until another wave of pain consumed Dipper's hand. He dropped to his knees and the elf was by his side in an instant, grabbing his hand and trying to ease the pain. Cassandra kneeled down, so she was eyelevel with him. She grabbed his left hand from Solas' grasp.  “Each time the Breach expands, your mark spreads… and it is _killing you_. The _both_ of you," she said, looking into Dipper's eyes. "It may be the key to stopping this but there isn’t much time.”

Dipper pulled his hand away and looked at it, unable to stop the trembling of his limbs. “You still think I did this? To myself?”

Cassandra stood back up, pulling the boy up with her. “Not intentionally. _Something_ clearly went wrong.”

"And if I'm  _not_ the person responsible?" Dipper demanded, a hard edge to his young face. 

“Someone is, and you are our only suspect. You wish to prove your innocence? This is the only way.” She crossed her arms over her chest. 

Dipper sighed and rubbed his temples. Mabel probably would have been better at the whole 'saving the world' thing. She was better with people. Better with pressure. But she wasn't there. Wasn't even _awake._ She was locked in the dungeon of some kind of medieval church, dying, and Dipper was the only one who could help her. He prayed that she didn't wake up before Dipper could get back. He hated the thought of her afraid and all alone in the cold cell. What if the Mark hurt her, like it was hurting him? It broke his heart. He breathed deeply and nodded his head. "Alright, I get it," he said. 

Her eyes widened, something like hope lighting her features. "So you mean..." 

"Yes, _if_ I can help, then I will," he said.

"Thank you," Solas said. "We should depart, then. I believe master Tethras is meeting us at the gates. We were expecting to head to the Rift this afternoon to see if we could close it on our own...though I expect that results would have been the same as the last time."

"Nothing?" Cassandra asked.

" _Nothing,"_ Solas confirmed.

They walked through the village and Dipper pressed closer to the elf when he noticed the hostile looks that were being shot towards him. Solas looked down at him and touched his shoulder briefly. "They lash out like the sky, fear will cause people to do and think terrible things."

"He is correct," Cassandra said. "But we must think beyond ourselves. Until the breach is sealed. There will be a trial, I can promise you nothing more." She turned around when they stood at the entrance at the gate. Two soldiers opened the gates and Cassandra pulled out a dagger, cutting the ropes. The two adults looked around, and both frowned when they didn't find what they were looking for. Then a very short man came around the corner with a crossbow slung over his shoulder. Both Solas and Cassandra slightly deflated. 

"Well, look who it is," he said cheerfully, stopping in front of the group of three. "Chuckles, Seeker, glad to see you're still standing." He turned his eyes to Dipper who shifted uncomfortably under his eagle sharp eyes. "And who might you be?" He asked. 

Dipper managed a smile. "D-Dipper," he said. He held out his right hand. The short man took it. 

"Good to meetcha," he said. "The name's Varric Tethras, rogue, storyteller, and occasionally unwelcome tagalong.” He clicked his tongue and winked at Cassandra who looked as if she'd smelled something rotten.  

"Nice to meet you too," Dipper said cheerfully. 

Solas chuckled softly. “You may reconsider that stance, in time," he said with an amused raise of his eyebrows. 

“Aww. I’m sure we’ll become great friends in the valley, Chuckles," Varric said with a smirk. 

Cassandra stepped forward. “Absolutely not. Your help is appreciated, Varric, but…”

Varric scoffed at her. “Have you _been_ in the valley lately, Seeker? Your soldiers aren’t in control anymore. You _need_ me.”

She made a disgusted sound, probably realizing that Varric was right. Dipper looked down at the ground. He grit his teeth and hissed when the Mark flared up again. It wasn't nearly as bad as it had been before, but Solas didn't seem any less concerned. He let the same blue pulse of energy flow over Dipper's hand. "The pulses are coming more frequently, we need to hurry," Solas said urgently. 

"Well...Bianca's excited," Varric said, moving forward towards the chaos, crossbow still slung casually over his shoulder. The rest of the group followed, with Solas taking up the rear, keeping Dipper in front of him. 

Dipper grit his teeth when he felt his skin growing colder when it was touched by the snow. He'd be  _fine,_ he just needed to focus on the mission ahead. Seal that stupid Breach in the sky, and get him and his sister back to the Mystery Shack.  _God,_ Grunkle Stan was going to freak out if they had really been gone for four days. The trail was relatively boring, occasionally Dipper would see something on fire on the side of the road. It wasn't until they reached a bridge that _anything_ happened at all.

The Breach flared and Dipper dropped to his knees on the bridge, screaming in pain, clenching his eyes tightly shut. He felt Solas grab him around the middle, right as a large rock was hurled out of the sky, and smashed into the bridge, sending them all down onto the frozen lake. Dipper opened his eyes, and screamed when he saw a _monster_ rise out of the foaming blackness. "Stay behind us!" Cassandra ordered, pulling her sword from her belt, and rushing at the nearest creature. Varric and Solas also left Dipper's side to fight against the monsters. Dipper was more than happy to stay out of it, but yelped when another monster materialized at his feet. He backed up rapidly when it started moving closer to him. He slipped on a chunk of ice, his Vans not the most stable of shoes in existence.

The monster took a swing at him, and he blocked with his arms. "Get away!" He screamed, holding his hands outstretched. He felt a soft tingle that slowly grew into an overwhelming buzz. He opened his eyes when he heard the beast howl in pain. His heart stopped when he saw the fire coming out of the palms of his hands. Dipper turned over and pressed his hands onto the ice, hoping it would stop, which it, thankfully, did. He watched as the monster faded away into ashy smoke.

"Well...that just happened," he said with a crack in his voice.

"So it did," Solas said. "Were you unaware of your gifts?" Solas asked. "I am pleased to see that this new development hasn't caused you to panic," he said with an encouraging smile.

"Oh no, I'm panicking, I promise you." Dipper sat on the ground, pulling his knees up to his chest.

"I assume your sister is also in the dark about her magic as well? Have neither of you ever shown signs of having magic before?" 

" _What no?!"_ Dipper stood up, suddenly imagining his sister with fire at the tips of his fingers. The entire situation was ridiculous. _How_ was any of it even happening?! "Mabel too?" He asked the elf. "How can you tell?"

"Young mages have a magical signature that distinguishes them from more accomplished mages, as well as people who do not have magic at all. It was simply a matter of time before your magic manifested."   

" _Fantastic,"_ Dipper muttered under his breath. "Is this something we can worry about later, or does it need to be addressed  _now?"_ He asked. 

Solas frowned but nodded. "Yes, it can wait, we must get you to the Rift." 

"Great, let's get going," Dipper said standing on shaking legs and climbing out of the frozen river bed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please follow this person on Tumblr, this is where I get most of my MCIT ideas. [ModernGirlInThedas](http://moderngirlinthedas.tumblr.com/)


	2. Gsv Hpb rh uzoormt, zmw rg srg srn lm gsv svzw.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> GSVB HZRW GSV HPB DLFOW UZOO  
> ZMW RG SRG SRN LM GSV SVZW  
> GSV NZIP DROO HZEV GSVN ZOO  
> LI ZG OVZHG GSZG'H DSZG GSVB HZRW.

**Dipper**

Dipper followed obediently behind the three adults, trying his best to keep snow out of his shoes, but he wasn’t doing a very efficient job. His legs were _really_ cold. He picked up one foot after the other. There would occasionally be a twinge of pain that sparked on his left hand, whenever the Breach would flair. 

“We’re almost there,” Cassandra said over her shoulder. “You can hear the fighting from here.”

“Who’s fighting?” Dipper asked, rubbing his arms.  

“You’ll see,” she said, before breaking out into a brisk jog. The other two followed her without much trouble, but when Dipper tried to keep up, he found himself slipping on ice and gasping for air the entire way. He peeked his head over the side of a stone wall, and saw that the fighting was mostly over. He climbed over the wall.

Solas walked over to him, grabbed him by the arm and pulled him over towards the glowing rift. “Quickly!” He said, pointing Dipper’s hand up. “Before more come through!”

There was a burst of energy that flowed through his entire body. Unlike the almost unbearable pain from before, his hand simply pulsed as the Rift began to mend itself. Dipper watched in amazement as the green flowed between his arm, and the open space in front of him. He was rocked slightly to the side when it was over, but Solas' arms were there to catch him. Dipper thanked him and pulled away. "What did you do?" He asked the elf, turning around.

The man straightened his spine, smiling proudly. "I have done nothing, the credit belongs to you entirely," he said. He slowly turned around and smiled at Cassandra who was watching Dipper quietly. "And Seeker, it seems that I was correct about the nature of the Marks they possess." He watched her and she hummed quietly, crossing her arms over her chest, seemingly deep in thought. Solas turned back to Dipper, a secret grin on his face. "It seems you may just hold the key to our salvation." 

Dipper laughed nervously. "No pressure, or anything," he said, shifting in the snow. "What about Mabel? Do you think her mark works the same?" He asked. 

"I would imagine so. It doesn't seem as if there are any differences between your marks," he said. "We should keep going, we have the conformation we needed that the Mark _will_ close Rifts. The sooner we get to the Breach, the better." He gestured with his staff along the path, directing Dipper to go first.

"Agreed," Cassandra said, wiping a bit of dark blood off of her cheek with her gloved hand. She sighed and looked along the path with worry in her eyes. "I hope that Leliana made it through all of this chaos."

"She's resourceful, Seeker," Varric said. "I honestly am more worried about the demons who stood in her way. I bet they're nothing more than sludge against cave walls by now." He smiled when Cassandra chuckled darkly.

Without anymore conversation, the party pulled themselves from the rubble of their battle ground, and went down the narrow path to the forward camp. Solas had to help Dipper over a mostly solid wall of wood, lifting him over, and putting him back down on the ground. "There you are," he said. Dipper thanked him quietly, hating how he had to be treated like a little kid.

They walked in silence, and Dipper was wrapped up in his own thoughts for a moment. He wasn't _really_ sure how he and his sister had wound up in what he could only describe as a Lord of The Rings VR game. It must have been the spell. Ford was going to be _miffed_ that Dipper hadn't thought before he'd read the spell, _out loud,_ without knowing what it did. It _apparently_ sent you to a different universe. Dipper wondered if it was random, or if the spell was designed to take them to this place specifically. He looked at Solas and Varric. The strange new world apparently was bursting at the seams with magic. Which was fascinating, if also a bit frightening. He looked down at his own hands. He could _use_ magic there. Would he need to train it, or would it be as easy as it had been the first time?

He was pulled from his thoughts when Solas pulled out his staff, and grabbed Dipper by the back of his shirt. "Demons ahead!" He cried out urgently to Cassandra and Varric, who were already getting their weapons ready for a fight.

"Glad you brought me now, Seeker?" Varric asked, while unloading a few arrows into the chest of a twisted monster that was advancing on her from behind.

Solas threw up a light green barrier around Cassandra and Varric, before firing off a few bolts of ice into a faraway enemy that was trying to launch bursts of energy towards them. Solas looked down at him, twirling his staff above his head. "I believe now would be a perfect opportunity for a lesson in magic," he said with a smile.

" _Now?"_ Dipper asked, quickly backing out of the way of another attack from one of their far away opponents. 

"Trial by fire, if you will," Solas said with a grunt, bringing his staff down on the head of the demon that Dipper hadn't even noticed coming up to them. "I want you to look down into the core of your body. Grasp onto the thread of energy that you can feel there, and deal with this enemy." He hit the demon one last time, before standing out of the way. Dipper gawked when the demon turned it's beady eyes on him, advancing slowly. 

Dipper tried to do as Solas asked, but he felt nothing, coming up empty. He backed up far enough away and closed his eyes and really  _searched._ It was like Solas said, he could feel a buzz of energy that seemed just out of reach. He held his hands out and released some of that energy, and he could feel it flow naturally through his veins. When he opened his eyes again he saw that fire rested on the tips of his fingers. He threw it towards the demon and watched in sick amazement when the demon was engulfed in flames and faded away.

Solas put a hand on his shoulder and nodded in approval. "It seems fire is your natural element," he said. "Very good job."

"Why was it so easy?" Dipper asked.

"Hold your breath," Solas said. Dipper raised an eyebrow, but did as he was commanded. "Just as breathing is something natural, so is your magic. And while you still need air to live, you can control the flow of air without having to give it much thought. Magic is the same sort of instinct. While you will need to practice and train how to use your magic more effectively, it is still a reflex."

"As interesting as this is," Cassandra interrupted. "We need to keep going."  

Solas huffed. "Yes...yes you're right," he muttered. He smiled down at Dipper and gently pushed him forward. They kept walking back down the trail. The wind picked up for a moment and Dipper's teeth started clicking together. 

“So I take it you’re from the Free Marches?” Varric asked, saddling up by Dipper's side. 

"Uh, what?" Dipper asked. 

“Accent. I’m from Kirkwall, but you sound like you’re from… further east, maybe?”

Dipper shook his head. "Uh, no...I'm from California." 

It was Varric's turn to be confused. "And that's  _where,_ exactly?"

"The United States of America in Northern America. Near the Pacific Ocean. Coordinates 37.8244° North and 122.2316° West. Though I guess you wouldn't recognize any of that." Dipper ran his fingers through his hair. He looked up and saw the adults looking at each other in confusion. "I'm not from here...wherever _here_ is."

"Are you saying...you aren't from Thedas? You live beyond the Amaranthine ocean?!" Cassandra asked with wide eyes.

"You know what, that's not _technically_ wrong, so yes," Dipper said with a flippant wave of his hand. He rubbed his hands over his face and his shoulders slumped. "I'm exhausted." He took four steps before the Mark flared again, sending him spilling down to the ground, gritting his teeth, his breathing becoming pained and sharp. Cassandra was at his side first, helping him stand up.

“I know it’s difficult, but we must keep moving," she said. He nodded and leaned against her side for a few paces, before he felt like he could walk on his own. He thanked her quietly and went back to his place between her and Solas, right next to Varric.

The short man kept looking at him curiously. He finally cracked after only a few minutes. “So… _are_ you innocent?”

Dipper shrugged. “I don’t remember what happened,” he answered honestly. 

Varric hummed, putting his hands into the pockets of his leather pants. “That’ll get you every time. Should have spun a story.”

Cassandra glared at him over her shoulder. “That’s what _you_ would have done.”

Varric wiggled his eyebrows at her. “It’s more believable, and less prone to result in premature execution.”

"I don't think me _or_ my sister caused the explosion," Dipper said softly in their defense.

They stopped when they saw the gates of the forward camp. Any relief that Dipper would have felt was overwritten by the terror of seeing another Rift. He looked down when he felt his hand sparking. The three other members of the party rushed into action, and Dipper stood at Solas' side, trying to find access to the strings of magic that rested in the pit of his soul. It was a little harder to do it at the snap of his fingers, like Solas could. He managed a few flames, but otherwise was completely useless during the entire fight, until it came time for him to use his hand magic.

Cassandra stepped forward, cupping her hands around her mouth. “The rift is gone! Open the gate!”

A soldier from beyond the gate, answered immediately. “Right away, Lady Cassandra!”

Solas stepped up to Dipper's side. “We are clear for the moment. Well done.”

Varric snorted and smacked him on the back. “Whatever that thing on your hand is, it’s useful.”

They walked up on the bridge and Dipper looked away when he saw tarp wrapped corpses lining the right wall, stacked up three high and five wide. He focused instead on the argument that was being loudly held not to far away. The red haired woman from the cell, who Dipper assumed was Leliana, was standing across from a man who was wearing what appeared to be church robes. 

“We must prepare the soldiers!” She insisted

“We will do no such thing,” the man spat at her. And the argument kept going.  

“The prisoner must get to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. It is our only chance!”

“You have already caused enough trouble without resorting to this exercise in futility.”

“ _I_ have caused trouble?”

“You, Cassandra, the Most Holy – haven’t you all done enough already?”

“You’re not in command here!”

“Enough! I will not have it!”

Dipper paused, looking up at Cassandra, who seemed  _extremely_ annoyed. She rolled her eyes harshly and walked forward with confidence. Dipper followed behind her, not quite able to keep his head held high enough. They approached the two who kept their argument going until the four of them were practically standing right in front of the table.

"Ah, and here they are," the man spat, giving Dipper a dirty look.

Leliana's face brightened. “You made it. Chancellor Roderick, this is–”

Roderick cut her off, smacking his hand down on the table. “I know who he is. As Grand Chancellor of the Chantry, I hereby order you to take both criminals to Val Royeaux to face execution.”

Cassandra scoffed at him, narrowing her eyes.  “'Order me’? You are a glorified clerk. A bureaucrat!”

“And you are a thug," he snapped back. "But a thug who supposedly serves the Chantry!”

Leliana crossed her arms. “We serve the Most Holy, Chancellor, as you well know.”

He turned his glare to her. “Justinia is dead! We must elect her replacement, and obey _her_ orders on the matter.”

Dipper clapped his hands together, pressing his lips together. "Don't you care about closing the breach?" He asked blankly. "Shouldn't that be your main concern at the moment?" 

Rodrick grit his teeth together so tightly that Dipper feared he might chip a tooth. "This is  _your fault,"_ he growled. “Call a retreat, Seeker. Our position here is hopeless.”

“We can stop this before it’s too late,” she said. 

“How?" He demanded. "You won’t survive long enough to reach the temple, even with all your soldiers.”

“We must get to the temple. It’s the quickest route.” Cassandra pointed towards the other gate. 

Leliana stepped a bit closer, lowering her voice “But not the safest. Our forces can charge as a distraction while we go through the mountains.”

Cassandra shook her head. “We lost contact with an entire squad on that path. It’s too risky.”

“Listen to me. Abandon this now, before more lives are lost.” Rodrick looked between the two women. 

The Breach expanded and Dipper closed his eyes, hissing in pain. Cassandra put a hand on his shoulder, looking at him intensely. "What do you think?" She asked.

"You're seriously asking my opinion?" Dipper asked in mild surprise.

" _You_ have the mark," Solas said.

Cassandra dipped her head affirmatively. “And you are the one we must keep alive. Since we cannot agree on our own…”

Dipper closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply. "I get the feeling that I'm not going to last much longer. Let's go with the soldiers."

Cassandra seemed pleased. “Leliana. Bring everyone left in the valley. Everyone."    

* * *

Dipper covered his mouth to stop the bile that threatened to come up when he saw the twisted, mangled,  _burned_ bodies of hundreds of people. Most looked as if their faces were twisted in agonized pain before they had died. Their last screams eternally etched upon their faces. Solas stood next to him. "The Temple of Sacred Ashes," he said, looking up at the Breach. 

"What's left of it, anyways," Varric said under his breath. 

Cassandra stood at his other side.  “That is where you walked out the Fade and our soldiers found you. They said a woman was in the rift behind you. No one knows who she was.” 

Varric whistled. "The Breach is  _real_ far up there," he said. 

The four of them turned around when they heard someone running up behind them. “You’re here! Thank the Maker," Leliana said when she spotted them. 

Cassandra greeted her. “Leliana, have your men take up positions around the temple," she said. Leliana nodded and jogged over to her team and started directing them around to their positions. Cassandra turned to Dipper who was transfixed by the Breach. “This is your chance to end this. Are you ready?”

Dipper looked down, moving his foot when he noticed that he was standing on the charred bones of someone's hand. "Ready as I'll ever be," he said solemnly. "But I'm guessing that no one has any idea how to get me up there?" Dipper asked.

Solas shook his head. “No. This rift was the first and is the key. Seal it, and perhaps we seal the Breach.”

Cassandra huffed. “Then let’s find a way down. And be careful.”

Dipper looked around and pointed to where it seemed like mud had cleared a steep trail down the side of the temple wall. Dipper didn't wait for the others, slipping over the side, keeping his balance for the most part. He landed on his hands and knees, underneath the Rift. He looked up when he heard a voice and his eyes widened as ghostly images appeared around them.

"Now is the hour of our victory. Keep the sacrifice still," the voice echoed, and Dipper covered his ears while it boomed inside his head.

Cassandra landed on her feet right next to Dipper, pulling him up to his feet. "What are we seeing?" she asked.

Solas was the one who answered. “At a guess: The person who created the Breach.”

"Hey, wanna keep this old flesh bag still?" A higher pitched voice demanded. Dipper stumbled, his eyes going wide. He backed up into Solas who caught him and looked at him in confusion.  

“Someone help me!” A woman's voice cried out desperately.

Cassandra gasped in horror. “That is Divine Justinia’s voice!”

"What the heck?!" A softer voice echoed, which Dipper recognized as Mabel.

" _Bill,_ what are you doing?!" Dipper's own voice demanded.

“Run while you can! Warn them!” The old woman shot at the twins.

"Pine Tree! Shooting Star! Fancy meeting you here!" The high pitched voice called cheerfully. "But...you _are_ intruding."

"Indeed..." the menacing voice said softly. "Kill the children," he ordered his lackeys.   

Cassandra grabbed him, looking desperately into his eyes.  “You _were_ there! Who attacked? Who is Bill?! And the Divine, is she…? Was this vision true? What are we seeing?”

Dipper pushed her hands off of him. "I...don't remember what happened at the Temple," he insisted. "But I know who Bill is..." he looked back up where the images had faded away. "I promise to explain later, we should handle this first." Dipper walked away from her and wrapped his arms around himself. He wished Ford and Stan were there. They'd know what to do. 

Solas hummed in interest. “Echoes of what happened here. The Fade bleeds into this place.” He rubbed his chin and pointed to the Rift. “This rift is not sealed, but it is closed… albeit temporarily. I believe with the mark, the rift can be opened and then sealed properly and safely. However, opening the rift will likely attract attention from the other side.” 

"That means demons!" Cassandra yelled to the people who were standing on the edges of the walls. "Stand ready." 

"You can do this," Solas said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Dipper nodded, raising his hand up, willing the Rift to  _open._ And it did. 

"Now!" Cassandra screamed as the most horrifying creature Dipper had ever seen, stepped smugly through the Rift, ready for a fight.   


	3. Z hsllgrmt hgzi lkvmh svi vbvh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nzyov pmldh sld gl iloo drgs gsv kfmxsvh, yfg gsrh rh z orggov nfxs.

**Mabel**

_'It's been twelve hours since I woke up.'_ She wrote in her journal. She looked over at Dipper, his chest rose and fell steadily. ' _Still not sure what I'm supposed to do. I convinced Leliana to give me back all of our stuff. Whenever we came here our backpacks came with us. I guess it make sense, we were wearing them. I looked through Dipper's journal and couldn't really figure out what happened.' _

She closed the pink book and threw it into her backpack. The healer Adan said that he might not wake up for a few days. So she figured that it wouldn't hurt if she went exploring. She put on the small leather boots that someone had given to her. She looked through her bag and pulled on the purple one she'd knitted at the beginning of summer. It had a purple cat and said 'meow wow' on the front. Then she dug into Dipper's backpack and grabbed Journal Three, holding it under her arm. She opened the door and shivered when she felt the cold hit her face. She frowned when the people who saw her bowed their heads before continuing on their way.

 _That_ was weird, even when she'd woken up early that same afternoon. She'd given all the people in the room a good scare. The woman, Cassandra, had taken the time to explain to her what had happened. What _Dipper_ had just done. She couldn't but smile when she imagined how cool her brother must have been, saving everyone like he had. Then how _lame_ it must have been when he fell over and passed out. She'd tease him about the second she confirmed that he was 100% okay, with no bumps of bruises to speak of.

Cassandra also had...questions. About Bill, about Journal Three, about where they came from. So Mabel had told her what she could. Bill, a jerky demon from the dream dimension. Journal three, written by Dipper and Mabel's great uncle Ford. They were from California. It hadn't seemed to satisfy the woman, but Mabel wasn't sure what else to tell her. Dipper knew more about all that stuff. But Mabel _had_ been able to tell Cassandra, Solas, and Varric about the time Bill had tried to take over Grunkle Stan's mind, and how he possessed Dipper and how she'd managed to get rid of him by exploiting Dipper's weaknesses. But after that...he'd been quiet. Cassandra had _panicked_ when she heard about it. Called Dipper an 'abomination.' She'd almost pulled her sword out on him until the bald elf had calmed her down.

"I sense no signs of possession from him. Not only that, we had seen this demon physically when Dipper sealed the Rift," he said, grabbing her by the arm. She relented and they left Mabel to worry over her brother with the healer. She asked him what was wrong, and she was relieved to learn that it was mostly exhaustion. So Mabel was confidant that he would wake up soon.

Mabel looked at the Mark on her right hand glowed. She remembered that it hurt, but nothing else. The elf, Solas, had said she could come to him if she had any questions. And it wasn't like she had anything _else_ to do. She looked up at the sky and frowned with worry when she saw the large portal in the sky that they were calling 'the Breach' hanging above them. Cassandra had said that the matching Marks the twins had were the only hope of the Breach ever being permanently closed. Mabel thought it was kind of cool that they'd get to be _heroes,_ but at the same time, she was so afraid of what they'd have to fight. Demons, was apparently the answer.

She found Solas standing outside a cabin with a book in hand, frowning and deep in thought. She grinned and skipped the rest of the way, jumping and stopping right in front of him. He looked up from his book, and his eyes softened when he saw who had interrupted him. "Ah, good evening, little miss," he said, closing the book, tucking it under his arm. "How may I help you?" he asked.

"You said I could come talk to you if I had questions, right?" She beamed at him when he nodded. "Good, cause I got a lot of them." She pulled the journal out from under her arms, and showed it to Solas, who looked at the cover in confusion. "I thought maybe something in my uncles old journal would help us understand a bit more about how Dipper and I got here. And you're an expert on the Fade thingy, so maybe it'll also help you learn more about Bill and what he's up too."

Solas chuckled softly and took the journal, opening to the first page. "What is this language written here?" Solas asked, turning it around, and pointing to the squiggles.

"Not a clue!" Mabel said with a bright grin. "Dipper doesn't even know the codes in there, and he's poured over that book nearly constantly since he found it."

Solas scratched his chin and closed the book around his long fingers. "Would you like to join me for dinner in the tavern?" He asked her. "I think our discussion would reap better results if we talked with full stomachs."

As if on que, Mabel's stomach growled loudly. She tapped it with a closed fist, and rocked back and forth on her feet. "Sure! But I don't have any money."

"Let me worry about _that,"_ he said. He handed her back the journal. He gestured with his hand for her to follow him and she had to almost jog to keep up with his long stride. She watched him walk, almost hypnotized by how graceful he was. He was _everything_ she thought an elf would be...well minus the hair. He didn't even displace the snow when he walked, hardly leaving prints in the ground. Mabel wondered if that was a special kind of elf magic. She also wondered if Solas would be offended if she asked him if there was special 'elf magic.'

He opened the door for her, and Mabel stepped in, smacking her boots against the door ham to get the snow off of them. There was a mostly empty part of the tavern that Solas directed her towards. A young woman came over to them within thirty seconds, with a pleasant smile on her face. "How can I help you?" She asked.

"I will have a glass of warm cider. What are you having for dinner tonight?" He asked.

"Nug stew and a loaf of bread, with a strip of bacon."

"Then two orders of that," he said. He looked at Mabel. "Would you like anything to drink?" He asked.

The woman looked at Mabel and her eyes widened and recognition flashed across her face. "My lady Herald," the woman said softly, bowing her head. "I had no idea it was you! Please forgive me."

"Uh, water is fine..." Mabel said, shifting in her seat with discomfort. The woman left soon after that, rushing off to the kitchen. " _That's_ not something I'm going to get used to," Mabel said, rubbing her hands on her sweater.

"Disquieting it may be, but posturing will become Important for you and your brother soon," Solas said. "Already, rumors have begun to spread about what your brother did at the Temple, and how the Marks on your hands will seal the Rifts that have opened up all over Thedas. People will _expect_ things from you, so they will behave as that young woman did."

"Can they not?" Mabel asked, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked over at another table of soldiers who were staring at her with open mouths. "It's actually really creepy."

Solas chuckled. "Yes, I understand your discomfort. Ignore it for now, I am sure it will fade soon."   

Mabel sighed and opened the journal, flipping to the pages about Bill that were towards the middle. Written before Dipper got ahold of it. She paused, running her fingers over the ink-stained pages where Ford had scribbled out whatever he was trying to write before. 'MY MUSE WAS A MONSER' was written in bright red ink across the two pages, a red eye gazed out from the page. "Thirty years before Dipper found the journal, our great uncle Ford was sent through a Vortex that he created. It's similar to a Rift, actually, but it was much more contained. His brother, Stan, managed to recreate the portal and bring Ford back to home. Point is, I think that the portal and the Fade might be somehow connected." She flipped rapidly through the book and pointed to one of Ford's drawings that detailed what he'd described as the Nightmare realm. "I believe that this image depicts my world's understanding of the Fade."

Solas took the journal from her, eyes moving rapidly over the pages. "It seems...entirely possible," he said. "Actually, I believe that is _exactly_ what this is. Your uncle journeyed through this 'Bill's' area of the Fade..." He scrunched his eyebrows together. "Would you mind if I borrowed this journal for further study? This could hold the answers on how to send you back to...where was it?"

"Gravity Falls, we're supposed to be staying with our uncle for the hummer holidays. It's where all the weird stuff happens." Mabel watched his clutch the journal, and wondered if she could get it away from him if she wanted to. He looked like Dipper did when he'd first found the journal. She was glad to know that there were nerds no matter what world she was in. "You can borrow the journal, just make sure to return it before Dipper wakes up, he's really protective of it."

Solas smiled gratefully, and tucked the journal into his bag. "Were there any other questions?" He asked. "Perhaps about your magic?" 

"Magic?" Mabel tilted her head to the side slightly. "What do you mean?" 

Solas sighed. "Your brother said that the two of you were unaware of your gifts. You have...magic, like I do. You and your brother are mages." 

She felt like she was buzzing. A huge smile stretched across her face. "Magic?  _Magic?!_ Like actually magic?!" She jumped up and whooped, spinning around. "Are you serious, Solas this is the best thing ever!" She threw herself back into her chair. "I'm going to turn myself into a  _cat."_ She smacked her hand down onto the table. 

"Transformation is an exceptionally difficult school of magic," Solas said, lacing his fingers together. "If it was alright with you, I was thinking that I could teach you and your brother the basics of magical practice. It is important that you learn control and-" 

"Yes!" Mabel interrupted him, a wide smile stretching across her face. "Yes, please teach us magic!" 

He raised his right hand, chuckling softly. "Very well, I will teach you. It is late, but tomorrow morning we should begin practicing." 

* * *

Mabel walked through the dirt roads of Haven in the morning. She couldn't help that she was curious. It was snowing, the clouds blowing the icy flakes down in a lazy spiral. She had a hood that covered her face, and thick gloves that hid her glowing hand. No one recognized her like that. She was just another faceless villager. Or. maybe they thought she was a dwarf? She found that someone could hear a lot when no one noticed them. And she took notes.

She watched as two soldiers pushed a young elven man around, knocking him to the ground. Mabel wrote down a short description of what they looked like. She didn't know _who_ she would report it too, but she knew that she would be. She saw an older woman smack a young kitchen boy across the face. She saw the chantry sisters refusing to allow a pregnant elven woman into the prayer services, because she and her lover weren't married. Meanwhile, Mabel watched the human woman's human lover be allowed entrance. She wrote it all down. If people were going to bow to her, then she'd use that to maybe do _some_ good in those people's lives.  

Mabel wondered further into the small town, until she came across an irate Adan snapping that he 'wasn't a healer.' But none the less, he gave the woman he was helping a potion to ease her son's fever. Then, while she listened, she heard the man tell his assistant that he didn't have enough herbs to help the people in Haven and the 'rat bastard' Seggrit was charging an outrageous price for the things they needed. No one would go out to gather them when there were demons pouring out of the sky. Already, people were dying because they couldn't afford to pay him. That was a problem Mabel thought needed fixing _immediately._

When she was finished with her adventure, she returned to the cabin and looked over her brother. She put her hand on his forehead and smiled when she felt that his temperature had evened out. She tucked the blankets tighter around his form. She changed out of her disguise, pulling on a bright blue sweater. She'd found another skirt that had been given to her that morning, and it was _much_ warmer than the shorts that she had been walking in the day before. It went down past her knees, and was unfortunately bland, but she didn't want to complain when It was obvious these people were giving everything they could. She pulled on thick gloves, and even thicker socks before setting back out into the roads of Haven.

Solas _had_ promised to start teaching her magic. She ignored the people who bowed to her as she passed. She climbed the steps quickly when she saw Solas waiting for her outside of his Cabin. " _Hey!"_ She waved her arm over her head and grinned brightly when she saw him give her a much more subdued wave. She stood in front of him, and put her hands on her hips. "You ready?" She asked.

He looked slightly confused. "For what, exactly?" He asked, unable to hide the smile that twitched on his face.

" _Solas,"_ Mabel whined. "You promised to teach me magic!"

He hummed. "Yes, I think I might remember that." He gestured to the gates. "Come, we should do this outside of Haven," he said. "Cassandra already came by early this morning to ask me to teach you magic, but she was very clear that we do it somewhere no one would get hurt." He stopped for a moment and looked over his should. "Oh, she also wants to see you in the Chantry when we finish."

"Alright!" Mabel followed him, having to jog to keep up. He had stupid long legs, so for every step he took, Mabel had to take three. He took her past the new recruits who were training hard under the order of a blond man, who was yelling at them. When they far enough away, Solas rounded on her, hands behind his back.

"First, you need to learn how to control your mind, before you could learn to control your magic," Solas said. He fluidly tucked his legs under him and rested his hands on his knees. "Sit," he said, gesturing to the spot in front of him. It was uncomfortable, but Mabel did as she was asked. She closed her eyes when Solas told her too. "In every mage, there is a connection to the Fade. Though, when we are young, it might be hard to recognize what it is. Focus in on your spirit. What do you feel?"

She sat quietly and concentrated. When she pushed away the thoughts of cats and cute boys from the eighties that took up most of her thoughts on the daily, she felt something buzzing inside of her body. "Like...butterflies flying around inside my body," Mabel said, opening her eyes.

Solas smiled and bowed his head slightly. "An accurate description," he said. He held his hand out and a small ball of yellow light formed, hovering over his palm. "I want you to gently tug at the butterflies. Try and direct them into your hand and to the form you desire."

"How does that work?" Mabel asked.

"Well, our magic, is both an extension of our wills and a manifestation of the Fade's 'free will.' Instead of yanking on the threads of energy that connect us to the Fade, we can request and direct it instead. Mages will find that their magical endeavors work much better when they aren't trying to  _force_ their magic to act in one way or the other. Instead...it is much easier to work  _with_ your magic instead of  _against_ it. Magic is your helper, not your servant." 

Mabel turned her eyes down to her hand. She remembered how effortless it had been for Solas to conjure the light into his palm. She scrunched her face up, trying to get the same result. She relaxed, and sat back a bit. She could still feel it, the power the bubbled inside of her stomach. She tried to guide it up into her chest, and smiled when she managed that much. I flowed down her fingers and she gasped when she saw her hand starting to glow. It wasn't the perfectly round ball that Solas had produced, but it was  _something._ She let her hand fall and she breathed a sigh of relief when it was over. It took a lot. 

Solas seemed proud. He took her hand, telling her to try again. That time, she could feel Solas trying to push her magic back, and she had to fight against him to gain control. But the end of a few hours, she was able to hold the ball of light, and even toss it from one hand to the other. "Very good," the elven man said, standing up. "Now, for your next lesson, this one should be a bit easier." 

He helped her stand and held out his hands. There was a bit of a spark, before large spouts of fire burst from his hand. "It's much easier to let loose uncontrolled magic...now you try." 

Mabel looked at the crackling trees that Solas had destroyed. She wondered if she could do the same thing with rainbows instead of fire...? A question for another time, she supposed. She held out her hands, in the same way Solas had. He was right, it _was_ much easier, almost like taking a breath. But it wasn't fire...it was ice. She pulled back and blinked in confusion. She looked up at Solas who smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It seems ice is the natural form that your magic takes, interesting..." Solas touched the frozen spikes that had erupted out of the burning trees. "You have done well, we will continue our lessons when your brother wakes. It shouldn't be long. Now, as I said, Cassandra wishes to see you. However...perhaps you should change?" 

Mabel looked down at her soaking wet clothes and laughed. "Yeah, see you later! Thanks for the magic lessons!" He gave her a simple nod. She turned and ran back to Haven. It was _so_ cold. She shivered as she opened the door to the cabin. She stopped in her tracks when she saw a man standing over Dipper, a dagger drawn. He spun around, eyes widening when he caught sight of her.

His face was half covered by a silver mask, and he wore a black cloak that covered most of his body, reminding Mabel of some kind of large bird of prey. He rushed her, holding the dagger over his head. Mabel tried to duck under his arm when he swung, but was caught in the stomach by his knee. Mabel opened her mouth and screamed as loudly as she could. The man cursed and threw her to the ground.

The window shattered. A woman in green and browns saw the man and pulled out her own daggers, throwing both, catching him in the head and chest. He fell over, and Mabel screamed again when she realized he was dead. The woman walked closer, pulling her up. "Are you well, lady Herald?" She asked, checking her over for injury. She turned when she found that Mabel was unharmed, and checked on Dipper. He was fine, breathing easily.

"Lady Herald, I will report this to Lady Leliana...stay here." She pushed Mabel into a closet, shutting the door. "Just in case."

Mabel looked down at her hands in the dim light of the closet. There was blood on her arms.

Real blood.

Her eyes rolled back into her head and she passed out, falling against the wood.  


End file.
